title: Histopathological features of canine spontaneous non-neoplastic gastric polyps - a retrospective study of 15 cases.
abstract: Fifteen cases of canine gastric polyps, collected over a 4-year period, were investigated using gross inspection, histological procedures and immunohistochemical techniques for Helicobacter infection. No breed or sex predisposition was found for gastric polyps, although they occurred mainly in elderly animals. There were 9 pedunculated and 6 sessile polypoid growths, between 5 to 30 mm in diameter developed mainly in the pyloric region of the stomach. The most common type of gastric polyps was the hyperplastic one. The inflammatory type was identified in three cases. Foci of AB/PAS Goblet positive cells resembling intestinal metaplasia, mild dysplasia of gastric epithelium, well delimited calcified areas, islands of osteoid matrix and nematodes were present in some of these lesions. Histological examination of the adjacent gastric polyp (surrounding gastric mucosa) revealed a severe chronic inflammation in 13 cases and a high grade of Helicobacter species colonization in all cases, but Kendall test analysis showed no correlation between Helicobacter spp. colonization degree and gastritis scores (τ = 0289; p = 0.204). A significant correlation was found between Helicobacter spp. location and gastritis scores (τ = 0.497; p = 0.035). Immunohistochemistry performed with a polyclonal antibody confirmed Helicobacter spp. infection in all cases. Based on their morphology, Helicobacter pylori - like organisms were described in 3 of 15 cases. No high degree of dysplasia nor neoplasia were identified in these lesions. The etiology and pathogenesis of gastric polyps in dogs are still unknown, although a severe chronic antral gastritis may be a predisposing condition for development of gastric polyps in dogs.
authors.affiliation: University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Pathology Department, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. taulescumarian@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Taulescu
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, USA.
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Valentine
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, Department of Pathology and Molecular Immunology, and Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), Carcinogenesis, Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Amorim
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, Department of Pathology and Molecular Immunology, and Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), Carcinogenesis, Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gärtner
authors.affiliation: University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2nd Medical Clinic, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Dumitraşcu
authors.affiliation: University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Pathology Department, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
authors.forename: A F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Gal
authors.affiliation: University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Pathophysiology, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sevastre
authors.affiliation: University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Pathology Department, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Catoi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D005756:Gastritis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000150:complications*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D011127:Polyps / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013270:Stomach / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology*